Reproduction: Ochre sea stars spawn in spring or early summer. Larvae float in the water as plankton until they are heavy enough to settle on the bottom.

Behavior: Ochre sea stars have hundreds of tiny suction-cupped tube feet that allow them to move around and eat their prey.They use their tube feet to pry open mussels so that they can evert (stick out) their stomach and insert it in between the two shells, leaving it there until the meat has been digested. When finished with the meal, they pull their stomachs back inside their body and continue their quest for food. They can be found on rocky shores and in kelp forests where there are strong currents and crashing waves. Their tube feet allow them to hold on tightly to rocks so that they aren’t swept away.